Risk & Business Magazine Hardenbergh Summer 2019 Magazine | Page 27

WCRE FIRST QUARTER REPORT WCRE FIRST QUARTER REPORT: Strong Economy Leads to Fundamental Growth for Southern New Jersey & Southeastern Pennsylvania CRE Markets BY: JASON M. WOLF W olf Commercial Real Estate (WCRE) is a commercial real estate brokerage and advisory firm operating in Philadelphia, southern New Jersey and the surrounding areas. What separates them from many other real estate companies is the range of services that they provide and their intense focus on the business goals of their clients. The approach is highly personal, and people who work with WCRE never feel like they have been put into a box with everyone else. The result is a unique work culture and a higher standard, allowing WCRE to go beyond the transactions and to serve as a strategic success partner. Their first quarter analysis for 2019 showed that the southern New Jersey and the southeastern Pennsylvania markets continued to show fundamental growth. That growth was bolstered by a strong economy supported by local expansions and by an influx of new investments from other regions. “We’ve been in this cycle for several years at this point, with steady growth supported by strong fundamentals,” said Jason Wolf, founder and managing principal of WCRE. “The financial markets and political climate have been somewhat less predictable, but commercial real estate has performed very reliably and we believe will continue to do so.” Leases and renewals were expanded by almost 374,000 feet in three key areas that were surveyed: Burlington, Camden and Gloucester. This was a 10 percent increase from the previous quarter. New leasing activity accounted for almost 50 percent of the deals in those three counties, signifying strong growth. WCRE has recently expanded into southeastern Pennsylvania, and their report also includes information about its commercial real estate markets. Perhaps one of the most surprising things to come out of the report was the potential for vacancy in office spaces in Philadelphia. While the industrial sector maintained strong growth, the office market vacancy rate increased to nine percent. That rate is 1.2 percent higher than the 7.8 percent vacancy rate seen at the end of the last year. Most major markets have a higher vacancy rate, but the increase is still something to keep in mind. Strong growth on fundamentals is the name of the game, and the markets WCRE has surveyed have shown just that. For a copy of the full report, reach out to us at 215-799-6900 or visit us online at wolfcre. com. FULL SERVICE COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE & ADVISORY FIRM Jason M. Wolf, Managing Principal of Wolf Commercial Real Estate, has 22 years of landlord, tenant and corporate representation experience, specializing in office, retail, medical, industrial and investment properties in Southern New Jersey and the Philadelphia region. You may reach him at [email protected] or 856-857-6300. l Landlord Representation l Investments l Tenant Representation l Property Management l Research & Marketing Information l Appraisal & Advisory Services l Corporate Real Estate Representation l Construction Services For more information, visit WolfCRE.com or call 215-799-6900. Building Successful Relationships Marlton, NJ l Philadelphia l King of Prussia, PA 27 TM